Below is a set of copywriting formulas you can use to command attention with less hassle, limited brain farts, increase your efficiency and productivity, and generate an awful lot more conversions.
Let’s dive in.
Top Copywriting Formulas
1) Before – After – Bridge
Most effective for product descriptions.
Identify the pain point your prospect is experiencing (and how their life looks like with this problem).
Then, paint a picture of how their life could be after solving the problem.
Finally, bring it all together by detailing the steps required to remove their pain.
2) Features – Advantages – Benefits
Most effective for landing pages.
Open a sheet and in one column list the features of your product. In the next column, write the advantages related to that feature.
Lastly, write the benefits of the advantages.
3) Addressing objections
Effective for sales pages and retargeting ads.
The more specific to your product the objection is, the better.
Some common objections are:
- Not enough time.
- Not enough money.
- It won’t work for me.
4) Awareness – Comprehension – Conviction – Action
Best for sales pages and emails.
Present the problem. Help them understand why that problem matters. Create a desire for them to fix the problem. Invite them to take action.
Here are a few principles your copy should respect no matter which framework you choose:
The Four C’s
1. Clear
Your message must be clear.
2. Concise
Similar to the previous. Solve one problem with one solution.
3. Credible
People have to trust you. If they don’t, they will never buy from you.
4. Compelling
Your message must appeal to their head and their heart. Don’t be too logical. Selling isn’t a math lesson.
And we will add a fifth C: change.
You must communicate the change your product will generate. The transformation.
If your product doesn’t make their life better, what’s the point?
Reasons why
As a marketer you have the advantage of also being a customer yourself. So it’s easy for you to put yourself in the shoes of others.
Why should I listen to you? Why is this worth my time?
Why is your product on discount? Why does the discount only last 2 hours? Why do you give a two years warranty?
The internet is overhyped. And prospects are constantly questioning everything you say and do. Addressing these whys builds credibility.
The biggest problem with most copywriting advice
Viral copywriting advice usually goes like this: Someone posts a screenshot of some good copy, lists reasons for why it’s good, and publishes their analysis on LinkedIn or Twitter.
Or they post “bad copy” alongside “good copy.”
And followers love it. It’s fun and interesting. It goes viral. But is it actually helpful?
Nope! Because here’s the thing about copywriting:
Good copy depends entirely on context. Universal advice is not helpful.
Let’s take an example. We’ll write two lines of copy for a toothpaste brand:
- Line #1: Smile in the mirror. Don’t like your smile? OK. Smile in the mirror after three months of brushing with Toothpaste—now, you don’t want to stop smiling.
- Line #2: Toothpaste. Brighter smile. Cleaner feel. Fresher breath. Peace of mind.
Now we’ll write our own version of viral copywriting advice…
We’ll take Line #1 and write, “This is good copy because it’s conversational. It creates a villain and shows a before-after transformation.”
We can take Line #2 and write, “This is good copy because it keeps the value props simple. Keep your sentences short. Be straight-up about your value.”
Both versions seem like good advice, right?
Wrong! We’ll never know if the advice is good or bad because we have no context for either line.
We don’t know if these are headlines or body copy… social media ads or billboards… brand awareness or conversion copy. And most important of all… we have no data.
So when people on LinkedIn or Twitter take copy completely out of context to post viral bite-sized advice, take their advice or analysis with a grain of salt.
By the way, this is true for all sorts of marketing, not just copywriting. So tread carefully… It’s a wild world of marketing advice out there.
